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Hi Leo, Not true, the king of Belgium has not PD, only just one essentiale tremor. Thank you for you response. Greetings, Kris -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- Van: Leo Fuhr <[log in to unmask]> Aan: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Datum: zaterdag 9 oktober 1999 0:59 Onderwerp: Re: Re.Introduction+DBS-STN >Welcome Kris and Marcel and thank you for telling the remarkable story of >Marcel's surgeries to improve his pd symptoms. You certainly will have >much to share with the list re:volunteering with PD patients. I look >forward to hearing more from you. A student from Belgium stayed with our >family when performing in our town as part of the group, Up With People. >She told me that the king of Belgium has PD. > >Jeanette Fuhr 49-age now/47-age diagnosed/44?age symptoms started > >Kris Van Bogaert said in part: >From: Kris Van Bogaert <[log in to unmask]> >Date: Thursday, October 07, 1999 4:03 PM > >For some months now I have been following your postings and I thought it's >about time to introduce myself. >My name is Kris, I live in Belgium together with my husband Marcel, who was >confronted with Parkinson's disease at the age of 27. ....... 20 years >after the onset, Marcel was totally dependent on others for his routine >daily activities. Quality of life had decreased to the lowest point >possible. In march 1996 our life changed, he received his first DBS, >unilateral right sided pallidal stimulation with initially a great success >with great improvement of most of the symptoms and dyskinesias. Several >months later, however, severe dyskinesias developed on the left side and in >mutual unnderstanding with our neurologist Dr. Chris van der Linden, we >decided and go ahead with a second pallidal stimulation, however, without >much success. He continued with side effects and the medication did not >work >sufficiently. Meanwhile, the team in Ghent decided to switch to the STN >target in the summer of 1997. As a volunteer working for the Young >Parkinson patient support group I saw PD patients on a weekly basis. Most >of my job consists of supporting patients before, during and after surgery. >I am present in the operating room to help patients make them feel more >comfortable. The results were really astonishing, so my husband could >choose to have an operation for the third time. Three times, last time? >Absolutely, on june 6 1998, Marcel got his bilateral STN and life has >changed ever since than. He is totally releaved from all his symptoms and >side effects. Medication is reduced to one third of the pre-op medication. >Before surgery he was taken 23 pills a day!!!! >We live again like we lived before the Parkinson struck us: bicycling, >walking, working in the yard, making trips, visit restaurants and our >social >life is flourishing. I would recommend this surgery for everyone, if you >are a good candidate, don't even have any doubts about it. De surgery is >reversible, which is very important for new future treatments. >I respect anybodies opinion, but the criticising Dr. Chris van der Linden >is >not fair. He is a very good physician, very alert, not dogmatic, always >open >for new ideas and concerned about his patients. He is always available if >you need him and last but not least his knowledge and experience with >respect to Parkinson's disease and treatment, including off course DBS, is >very wide. He has been able to select the best candidates for the surgery >and therefore, I believe, excellent results. > >Next time, I would like to inform you about my volunteer work as a patient >coordinator of the Parkinson support group in Belgium. > >Warmest regards to all of you. > >Kris and Marcel >